Sept. 11 Responders May Be at Heightened Risk of Developing Leukemia

After the Twin Towers fell on Sept. 11, 2001, the thousands of people involved in rescue-and-cleanup efforts were exposed to carcinogens and other toxins as they breathed in contaminated air and dug through industrial rubble. Studies completed since then have shown elevated rates of conditions including multiple myeloma, prostate cancer and thyroid cancer among 9/11 responders and those who worked near the site. A new study published Jan. 14 in the journal JNCI Cancer Spectrum adds another to that list: leukemia. “After about 12 years of follow-up, there was an increase in the rate of all cancers combined, and separately for prostate cancer, thyroid cancer and leukemia,” explains study co-author Dr. Henry Sacks, a professor of environmental medicine and public health at New York City’s Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, a leader in post-9/11 health research. “This is the first time [an increase in leukemia] has been shown to be statistically significant.” Among other substances, first responders and volunteers in the World Trade Center area were exposed to asbestos, lead, dioxins and benzene following the attacks. It can take years, or even decades, for exposure to some of these substances to result in conditions including cancer and respiratory illnesses—meaning the full toll from the 9/11 attacks has yet to be calculated. As of September 2018, 10,000 people had been diagnosed with cancers related to the attacks and 2,000 had died f...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Cancer Research Source Type: news